Steelers’ decision to bench Payton Wilson killed two birds with one stone thanks to the return of Cole Holcomb
One thing leads to another.
Sunday, Sept. 21, was a monumental day for Cole Holcomb. Starting a game for the first time in nearly two years, the Steelers didn’t just give Holcomb another chance because they felt like it. They broke down the same tape we did last week and knew something needed to change in the middle of their defense.
Holcomb was that change. Payton Wilson went from starting and playing over 87% of snaps through two weeks to just 47%. And while the defense had its share of problems, the leading rusher for the New England Patriots was Drake Maye, and Holcomb was the first one to start the turnover fest with his punchout.
So not only did the Steelers give Holcomb one heck of a redemption arc, they may have gotten one step closer to solving their run defense issues.
Cole Holcomb improves Steelers’ defense immediately
“You can’t say enough about his mental toughness,” said Tomlin of Holcomb during his Tuesday presser. “It has nothing to do with what he’s doing right now from a playing perspective. But there’s a loneliness that comes with rehabilitation, and to see his commitment through the process, his unwavering commitment, his display of mental toughness, his general attitude, I think those are the things that are really significant and why we’re looking at the contributions that he’s able to make now. He’s just a really mentally-tough guy. He’s got an awesome relationship with football. He appreciates what others might view as drudgery, he enjoys it, and I think that helps him in a big way.”
After letting up over 100 yards to running backs in the first two weeks of the season, the Steelers inserted Holcomb into the lineup, and the top two backs in New England both rushed for only 28 yards. Sure, some of that was due to better play from Keeanu Benton and the other big guys up front, but Holcomb was a key cog in Week 3, and he may be a serious solution to the Steelers’ defensive woes going forward.
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